CU-1c-1936-04 Cud

Description

Fourth documented cud for the 1936 Lincoln Wheat Cent, this die break variety records another instance of rim failure during a production year that saw the Philadelphia Mint strike over 309 million cents. Cuds form through a specific structural failure sequence: metal fatigue initiates a crack at the die rim, the crack propagates under repeated striking pressure, and eventually the weakened section separates entirely from the die body. The resulting cavity fills with metal during each subsequent strike, producing the raised featureless mass that distinguishes cuds from other die break varieties. The 1936 date falls in the middle of the Great Depression era, when despite economic hardship, coin production remained substantial to support everyday commerce. Four cuds cataloged for this single date indicate that multiple working dies experienced rim failures during the production run — an expected outcome given the hundreds of dies consumed across a mintage of over 300 million pieces. The Wheat Cent reverse by Victor David Brenner, with its prominent wheat ears extending to near the rim, creates a design-to-edge transition zone where stress concentrations make the die particularly vulnerable to fracture. Cross-referenced as CU-1c-1936-04 with no additional known cross-references, this variety was cataloged by Cuds on Coins.

Attribution History

• Discovered by David Elliot
• Expert attribution by Cuds on Coins

External References